not so tall or so slender as the last species, from which it may
readily be distinguished by its powerful aroma and bitter taste. The
whole of the plant is whitish with a close, fine down; and the erect
stems, from one to two feet high, are stiff and hard. The leaves are
very similar to those of the Mugwort, but are much broader, are silky on
both sides, and the narrow lobes of the leaves are blunt at the tips.
The flower-heads are also similarly arranged, but they are almost
globular in form, very silky, and more or less drooping. The florets are
numerous, and of a dull yellow colour, the central ones being mostly
fertile, while the outer, without stamens, are small, and often barren.
The plant flowers during August and September, is not so common as the
last species, but is abundant in districts near the sea.
One of the most conspicuous flowers of the summer is the Common Ragwort
(_Senecio Jacobæa_). It belongs to the same genus as the Groundsel, but
differs in having very showy, terminal corymbs of large, bright yellow
flowers with spreading rays. Its erect stem does not branch, as a rule,
except near the top, and reaches a height of from one to three or four
feet. The outer bracts of the involucre are small and few in number, and
both these and the inner ones are generally tipped with black.
Occasionally we may meet with plants of this species in which the
flower-heads have no ray, but in general the ray is well-formed, and
consists of about twelve narrow or oblong florets.
[Illustration: THE WORMWOOD.]
The Common Feverfew (_Matricaria Parthenium_ or _Chrysanthemum
Parthenium_) is a very abundant wayside flower, of which a double
variety is commonly grown in gardens. The plant reaches a foot or more
in height, and flowers freely from July to September. The stems are
erect and branched; and the leaves are stalked and pinnately divided
into ovate or oblong, lobed, toothed segments. The numerous flower-heads
are arranged in a corymb, and are about half an inch in diameter, with
white ray and yellow disc. The plant may be distinguished from similar
species of the same genus by the little toothed border on the summit of
the ripe fruits, and by the strong and somewhat pleasant odour of all
its parts.
[Illustration: THE RAGWORT.]
Even more common, in most places, is the Corn Feverfew or Scentless
Mayweed (_M. inodora_), which flowers from June to the end of the
summer. Its stem is erect, with spreading branches; and the sessile
leaves are two or three times divided into narrow, almost hair-like
segments. The flower-heads are much larger than those of the last
species, sometimes reaching a diameter of about two inches, and are
solitary. The involucre is brown, with a membranous edge; the ray
white, and the disc yellow. It is sometimes confused with the Wild
Chamomile, but may be distinguished by the shape of the receptacle,
which is hemispherical, and not so conical as in _Chamomilla_.
[Illustration: THE SCENTLESS MAYWEED.]
[Illustration: THE YARROW OR MILFOIL.]
Our last example of the Composites of the wayside is the Yarrow or
Milfoil (_Achillea millefolium_)--a plant that might be mistaken by the
beginner for one of the Umbellifers when seen at a distance; but a
closer examination will show not only that the level-topped
inflorescence is a dense, terminal corymb, but also that the flowers are
collected into little heads, each of which consists of a few white or
pink, pistillate ray-florets, surrounding a little cluster of tubular,
perfect, yellow florets of the disc. The leaves are narrow oblong, and
very finely cut into many hair-like, branching segments. The whole plant
has a strong and rather pleasant odour. It grows from six to eighteen
inches high, and flowers from June to September.
XIII
WASTES AND WAYSIDES IN SUMMER (_Continued_)
Continuing our list of the numerous wayside flowers of the summer
months, we take first the Rampion Bellflower or Ramps (_Campanula
Rapunculus_), of the order _Campanulaceæ_. The flowers of this order are
usually easily distinguished by their bell-shaped corolla, mounted on an
inferior ovary, and by their general resemblance to the Canterbury Bells
so familiar to us as favourite garden flowers. The Rampion is to be seen
on some of the sandy or gravelly wastes of the South of England during
July and August, but is rather local in its distribution. It has an
angled, erect stem, from two to three feet high, rough with stiff, white
hairs. The stem leaves are narrow, pointed, and usually entire; but the
lower leaves are broader, with slightly-scalloped edges, on long stalks.
The blue flowers are arranged in erect terminal racemes, either simple
or branched, each flower having a short stalk. In order to distinguish
between this and other species of the same genus we should note that the
segments of its calyx are narrow and entire; and that the corolla is
divided deeply into five narrow, pointed segments.
The Great Bindweed (_Convolvulus sepium_) of the order _Convolvulaceæ_,
is very conspicuous in most hedgerows, and is probably so well known
that a description need hardly be given for purposes of identification,
but we must call attention to a few interesting features that might be
overlooked. It is both a creeper and a climber, for it has a creeping
rootstock that enables it to travel considerable distances below the
surface of the ground, and a twining stem, usually four or five feet
long, by which it climbs over the surrounding plants or shrubs. The
large, white flowers, which bloom from June to August, are arranged
singly on short stalks. Each has a pair of rather large bracts which
completely hide the calyx, and which might at first be mistaken for the
calyx itself.
The Small Bindweed is, perhaps, more commonly seen in fields than in
hedgerows, and is included among the field flowers on p. 228;
and the Dodders, belonging to the same order, are described with the
other parasitic plants in Chapter XXIII.
[Illustration: THE RAMPION BELLFLOWER.]
The four British plants of the order _Solanaceæ_ are all wayside
species, flowering from June onwards, and may be considered together
here. They possess the following features in common:--The leaves are
alternately arranged, without stipules. The flowers are regular, with a
five-toothed or five-lobed calyx, and a corolla of (usually) five united
petals which are folded in the bud. The number of stamens correspond
with that of the lobes of the corolla, and the ovary, which is
two-celled, ripens into a berry containing several seeds, except in the
Henbane, where it forms a capsule.
The Henbane (_Hyoscyamus niger_) is an erect plant, with a branching
stem from one to two feet high, and the whole is more or less coarse and
hairy, with a viscid touch and an unpleasant odour. The flowers are of a
dingy yellow colour, and are arranged, with very short stalks, in
one-sided, leafy spikes which are curved backwards before the flowers
are open. The calyx is at first short, but grows longer, as the fruits
ripen, until it is about an inch long. It has prominent veins, and its
five lobes are stiff and bristly. The dingy corolla also reaches a
length of an inch or more, and is distinctly marked with dark bluish
veins. This plant flowers from June to September, and is moderately
common in waste places, especially near houses.
The other three flowers of this order referred to are all known as
Nightshades, and two of them belong to the genus _Solanum_, in which the
flowers are arranged in few-flowered terminal or lateral cymes, on short
stalks. The corolla has scarcely any tube, and the flowers are easily
distinguished by the peculiar arrangement of the five anthers, which are
on very short filaments, and are placed close against the style in such
a manner as to form a compact cone in the centre of the flower.
[Illustration: THE GREAT BINDWEED.]
One species--the Black Nightshade (_S. nigrum_)--is rather local in its
distribution, but often very abundant where it occurs, appearing as a
common weed on cultivated soils. It is an erect, spreading herb, either
quite smooth or slightly hairy, growing from six inches to two feet
high, with swollen angles on its branching stem. Its leaves are stalked,
ovate, more or less wavy, with large angular teeth; and the small, white
flowers are on short lateral stalks. The fruit is a small, round, black
or scarlet berry. This species may be seen in flower from June almost to
the end of the year.
[Illustration: THE HENBANE.]
The other species--the Woody Nightshade or Bittersweet (_S.
Dulcamara_)--is much more common, and may be seen straggling among the
hedgerow shrubs almost everywhere. It is a woody climber that supports
itself by means of its zig-zag stem, and often reaches a height of six
feet or more. The flower seems to be very well known, but is often, if
not generally, spoken of as the Deadly Nightshade, which is a much rarer
species with quite a different habit and appearance. The leaves are
stalked, and usually more or less heart-shaped. Sometimes they are
entire, but frequently there is a small lobe on each side of the base.
The flowers, though rather small, are very pretty, the conspicuous cone
of yellow anthers forming a bright centre to the spreading purple
corolla. They bloom from June to September; and towards the end of the
season the bright red fruits may be seen in abundance while the flowers
are still appearing.
[Illustration: THE WOODY NIGHTSHADE OR BITTERSWEET.]
The true Deadly Nightshade or Dwale (_Atropa belladonna_), of the same
order, is a very local plant, occurring principally in waste places in
the South of England. It is an erect, branching herb, either smooth or
slightly downy, reaching a height of two or three feet, and flowering
from June to September. The leaves are large stalked, ovate, and entire;
and each one has, usually, a smaller leaf, growing from the same point
on the stem and looking like a stipule. The flowers are very different
in general appearance from those of the other nightshades. They are
large--about an inch long, and solitary, on short stalks, in the axils
of the leaves or in the forks of the stem. The calyx is a broad bell,
deeply cut into five lobes; and the corolla is a deep, regular bell, of
a pale purple colour, with five short, broad lobes. The fruit is a
large, poisonous berry, almost globular, but flattened above.
[Illustration: THE DEADLY NIGHTSHADE.]
On waysides and in neglected fields we meet with the very common Red
Bartsia (_Bartsia Odontites_) of the order _Scrophulariaceæ_. This is a
small, tough plant (see Plate III), from six inches to a foot or
more in height, rather downy, with spreading branches. It may be readily
recognised by its several one-sided spikes of numerous purple-red
flowers, with a bell-shaped, four-pointed calyx, and a corolla that is
divided into a longer upper, and a shorter lower, lip. The leaves are
long and narrow, with a few teeth; and the fruit is an oblong capsule.
The above description applies to the most usual form of this plant, but
it is a very variable species, especially as regards the form of the
leaves and the branching of the stem.
The Yellow Toadflax (_Linaria vulgaris_), of the same order, is a very
pretty plant, from one to three feet high, exceedingly common on banks,
hedges, and the borders of fields, bearing dense, terminal racemes of
yellow flowers from June to October. Its calyx is small, and deeply
divided into five segments; and the corolla, which has a long pointed
spur at the base, is closed above by the bright orange 'palate' of the
lower lip.
[Illustration: THE YELLOW TOADFLAX.]
In the order _Verbenaceæ_ we have the common Vervein (_Verbena
officinalis_), a common plant in the dry wastes of the South of England,
and moderately frequent in some other parts. This is a smooth, erect
plant, with long, spreading, wiry, four-angled stems; and small, lilac
flowers in long, slender spikes. There are but few leaves towards the
top of the plant, and these are narrow and sessile, while the lower
leaves are broader, stalked, and coarsely toothed. When the flowers
first appear they are close together, but the spike increases in length
as the flowering proceeds, so that the lower flowers and fruits become
more distant. Each flower has a five-toothed calyx, and an irregular
corolla with a short tube and five unequal lobes. The Vervein grows from
one to two feet high, and flowers from July to September.
[Illustration: THE VERVEIN.]
Passing now to the Labiates, we deal first with two species of Calamints
(genus _Calamintha_), which are to be distinguished from the other
genera of the order by their axillary cymes of flowers, with calyx and
corolla both lipped, and the upper lip of the latter erect and flat.
One of these, the common Calamint (_Calamintha officinalis_), is a hairy
plant, with an erect, branched stem, one or two feet high, and stalked,
ovate, toothed leaves. The whorls of flowers are compound, in forked,
axillary cymes. The calyx is tubular, with thirteen ribs and five
pointed teeth. The three upper teeth are united at their base to form
the upper lip, while the other two, longer and narrower, form the lower.
The corolla is almost twice as long as the calyx, with an upper, erect
lip, and a lower lip with three broad lobes. The stamens are four in
number, in pairs, under the upper lip.
The Lesser Calamint (_C. Nepeta_) is a very similar plant, by some held
to be merely a variety of _C. officinalis_. Its leaves are shortly
stalked, but slightly toothed, and only about half an inch in length.
The flowers are about as long as the leaves, arranged in whorls of eight
or ten, with corolla about half as long again as the calyx. In both
species the mouth of the calyx is hairy, but the hairs are much more
prominent in the Lesser Calamint than in the last. Both plants are
frequently seen on sunny waysides, flowering during July and August.
[Illustration: THE BALM.]
The Balm (_Melissa officinalis_) is a common garden herb in some parts,
and in the South of England it is now fairly established as a wild
flower, though, at present, it is not often found very far from the
habitations of man. It is a hairy plant, much like a Calamint in
general appearance, growing from one to three feet high, and bearing
white flowers in July and August. Its leaves are stalked, ovate, acute,
toothed or crenate, of a pale green below; and the flowers are
shortly-stalked, in few-flowered, axillary whorls.
The Black Horehound (_Ballota nigra_), shown on Plate III, Fig.
2, is a coarse, hairy plant, with an unpleasant odour, commonly
seen on roadsides and wastes, flowering continuously from the beginning
of June to September or October. Its erect stem often exceeds three feet
in height, and branches more or less freely. The purple flowers are in
dense clusters in the axils of the leaves, and beneath them are several
narrow, stiff bracts. The calyx is about a third of an inch long, green
or purple-green in colour, with ten prominent ribs, and five broad teeth
which usually terminate abruptly in a fine, stiff point. The corolla is
of a purple colour, twice as long as the calyx, with an arched, oval
upper lip; and a slightly longer lower lip of three segments, the middle
one of which is the largest.
THE HEDGE WOUNDWORT.
Our last example of the wayside Labiates is the Hedge Woundwort
(_Stachys sylvatica_)--a very abundant and pretty plant that grows most
luxuriantly in damp, shady places, such as the borders of ditches, the
edges of woods, and shady banks and hedgerows. Its square stem is solid
and stout, straight and erect, and more or less branched. All the leaves
are stalked, the upper ones being narrow and entire, while the lower are
large, ovate or cordate, with a crenate or toothed edge and a very
pointed apex. The flowers, which bloom from July to September, are in
distant whorls of from six to ten, in the axils of the upper leaves,
forming long spikes. The calyx is bell-shaped, with ten ribs, and five
spreading teeth which are pointed, but not stiff; and the corolla, the
tube of which is longer than the calyx, is of a dark, red-purple colour,
prettily variegated with white on the lower lip. This plant varies from
one to three feet in height and has a very unpleasant odour.
We next take a few examples of the Borage family (order _Boraginaceæ_),
all of which are herbs more or less rough with coarse hairs, having
alternate, simple leaves, and flowers in one-sided spikes or racemes
which are rolled back while in bud. In all of them the calyx has five
divisions or teeth, and the corolla consists of five united petals of
equal or nearly equal size. There are five stamens within the tube of
the corolla, and the fruit consists of four nutlets enclosed in the
persistent calyx.
One of these--the Field Scorpion Grass (_Myosotis arvensis_)--is often
called the Forget-me-not, but it usually grows in dry waste places,
while the true Forget-me-not is found in wet situations. The flowers of
this species are also very much smaller. The stem of the plant is thin,
and bears small, oval, hairy leaves. The small blue corolla has short,
spreading, concave segments, and is surrounded by a calyx that is cleft
to the middle, and covered with hooked hairs. The sepals spread while
the flower is open, but assume an erect position when in fruit. As a
further means of distinguishing between this and other similar species
of the same genus we should note that the peduncle is longer than the
calyx, and that the style is very short. The plant varies from six to
eighteen inches in height, and flowers throughout the summer.
The Gromwell or Grey Millet (_Lithospermum officinale_) is a stout plant
with several erect, branched stems. The flowers are small, of a pale
yellow colour, in leafy racemes. The calyx is hairy and very deeply
cleft into five segments; and the corolla, which is about the same
length as the calyx, is funnel-shaped, with small scales in the throat
of its tube. This plant derives its generic name of _Lithospermum_ from
the nature of its fruit, which consists of white, stony nutlets with a
smooth and polished surface. Its height is from twelve to eighteen
inches; and the flowers appear during June and July.
Our next species--the Borage (_Borago officinalis_)--is not indigenous,
but is found wild in many parts, frequently in great abundance. It is a
very bristly plant, from one to two feet high, bearing bright blue
flowers from June to August. Its stem has spreading branches, and the
leaves are obovate, narrowing at the base into the stalk. The upper
leaves are narrower than the lower ones, and have shorter petioles. The
flowers are of a blue colour, or sometimes almost white, and are
drooping on rather long pedicels. The segments of the corolla are
spreading and very pointed; and the dark anthers are very conspicuous in
the centre of the flower.
The two British Alkanets (_Anchusa_) are interesting plants, though not
very common. They are coarse and hairy, and bear large, blue, bracteate
flowers, distinguished by a deeply five-cleft calyx; a corolla with five
spreading lobes, and a straight tube closed at the mouth by blunt, hairy
scales; and five stamens included within the tube. The fruit consists of
rather large wrinkled nuts.
One species, though generally known as the Common Alkanet (_Anchusa
officinalis_), is really a rare plant, occurring only as an escape from
cultivation in the neighbourhood of towns and villages. It has an
angular stem; narrow leaves--the lower ones very long, on long stalks,
and the upper ones smaller; and forked, one-sided, spikes of sessile or
shortly-stalked flowers of a rich blue colour. The calyx is bristly,
longer than the corolla, and cleft into narrow divisions. This plant
grows from one to two feet high, and flowers during June and July.
[Illustration: THE GROMWELL.]
The other species--the Evergreen Alkanet (_Anchusa sempervirens_)--is
not uncommon in some southern and south-western districts. It is a
stout, very bristly plant, from one to two feet high, with rather large,
blue flowers in short, opposite spikes. It is shown on Plate
III.
Our last flower of the Borage family is the Hound's-tongue
(_Cynoglossum officinale_), which is moderately common on waste ground,
flowering during June and July. This is an erect plant, from one to two
feet high, with a very unpleasant odour. Its stem is stout, branched and
hairy; and the leaves are thickly covered with soft down. The lowest
leaves are oval, with long stalks, often ten or twelve inches in length;
but the upper ones become smaller and narrower, with shorter stalks,
till towards the top they are very narrow, sessile, and clasp the stem.
The flowers are in racemes, with short pedicels, and have no bracts. The
segments of the calyx are narrow and pointed; and the small corolla is
of a reddish purple colour. The fruit is covered with little spines and
is about a quarter of an inch in diameter.
On dry waysides the Buck's-horn Plantain (_Plantago Coronopus_--order
_Plantaginaceæ_) is common. It may be readily distinguished as a
plantain by its slender, cylindrical spikes of small flowers, and its
spreading tuft of radical leaves. This species has a thick rootstock,
and its leaves are either linear and undivided, or, more commonly, cut
into very narrow segments. The flowers are green, with broad, hairy
sepals, the whole spike measuring from one to two inches in length. They
bloom during June and July.
[Illustration: THE HOUND'S-TONGUE.]
The plants which form the genus _Chenopodium_, of the order
_Chenopodiaceæ_, are essentially plants of the wayside and waste ground,
and of these we shall have to note several species. Most of them are
distinguished by the dusty mealiness of their leaves, though a few do
not possess this feature. In general they are characterised by
alternate, flat leaves; and small, green flowers in little sessile
clusters, forming spikes in the axils of the upper leaves. The little
flowers usually have a perianth of five segments which more or less
enclose the fruit; also five stamens, and two or three styles. The
following summary of the characters of these plants will enable the
reader to identify them:--
1. Stinking Goose-foot (_Chenopodium olidum_ or _C. Vulvaria_.)--A
procumbent or spreading plant, with a granular, mealy surface and a
nauseous odour resembling that of stale fish, especially when rubbed or
bruised. Stems from six inches to a foot or more in length, and much
branched. Leaves stalked, small, ovate, and entire. Flowers in dense,
leafless, axillary and terminal spikes which are shorter than the
leaves. Moderately common in many parts, especially in the eastern
counties. Time of flowering--August and September.
[Illustration: THE WHITE GOOSE-FOOT.]
2. Many-seeded Goose-foot (_C. polyspermum_).--A procumbent or erect,
spreading plant, without mealiness or nauseous odour. Stem much
branched. Leaves ovate or elliptical, entire, green, less than two
inches long. Flowers in axillary and terminal, leafless spikes, with a
calyx that does not cover the fruit. Common in parts of England,
flowering during August and September.
3. Upright Goose-foot (_C. urbicum_).--An erect plant, with a stout stem
and few branches. Leaves green on both sides. Lower leaves on long
stalks, broad, ovate or triangular, with bases narrowed towards the
stalk in such a manner as to approach a rhomboidal form, two or three
inches long, and irregularly toothed or lobed. Upper leaves narrower,
nearly entire, and acute. Flowers in small, dense clusters, forming
rather long, erect spikes. The green perianth does not completely cover
the fruit. Common on roadsides and waste ground, flowering in August and
September.